Spoilers: Season 8 - affinity.

Disclaimer: SG-1 are not mine.They belong to the television people and I just borrow them from time to time.

-Leave it all Behind-

Prologue

She'd awoken to a fear greater than any coldness she'd ever imagined; a tight feeling bruising her chest as drops of water from the cave roof prickled her skin and his hands – his fingertips gently brushed them away.

Minutes later her eyes flickered open and immediately she spied him to her right, his back to her, running a hand through his greying hair.

"Jack – I think she's awake." She heard footsteps, and the noise of a body kneeling beside her.

"Daniel," she slurred.

"I'm here, Sam." She moved slightly, pushing down on her elbows to get more leverage. He placed his hands on her shoulders and softly pushed her back down to the ground, berating her silently for her attempt to get up.

Her eyes slid shut once more and the echoes of the cavern faded to a dull whisper.

>>>>>>>>

Reassured by her steady breathing Daniel stood up, and walked quietly to the rocky entrance.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Daniel – " Jack narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Not now."

"You just don't get it," he exploded, "Or rather I don't get it. That's twice today she's woken up and you've gone on a little excursion. And for what… the trees don't move you know. You can curse at them any time." He slouched down on the stone and plonked his face in his hands.

Jack was gazing into the distance, pretending to be interested in nearness of the red moon that blocked the night sky –

'So close I can almost touch it,' he'd heard Carter exclaim to a rather unenthused Teal'c, as the temperature dropped on their first night. He'd bitten his tongue there and then, knowing exactly how she felt. To him it was the same as that feeling of liberation coursing through his veins when she smiled, only to be quashed by the realisation of his entrapment as she turned to him – 'Sir'. Settling for 'almost' had become another constant in his life.

Since the announcement of her engagement she'd been keeping her distance; not overtly, but he'd noticed the little rituals that were slowly dwindling between them – she no longer stayed late in her lab, he no longer brought her coffee and ordered her home. Christmas had brought an abrupt epiphany – there had been no unexpected call to go for lunch, and then he had noted how their unofficial duo that spent Christmas alone together had lost a member and now was down to just him.

He wasn't clueless. On the field he could read her like a book, as could she him. Yet still she remained this elusive enigma to him, and he was caught underneath his fear that gradually she was cutting him out of her life and that the best thing to do would be to make it as easy for her as possible.

>>>>>>>>

She stirred again, this time managing to roll over and press her hot cheek against the cool stone surface. She was vaguely aware of a throbbing pain in the region of her shoulder, so fierce that she tried to cry out but words refused to come and her dry throat rasped painfully.

She recalled a staff blast, and a tumble some distance down the cliff face, but apart from that nothing.. had she broken anything? She was so tired… sore.

"Hey." Drops of water from a cloth dripped slowly into the corner of her mouth.

"Daniel.. what's happening?" she spluttered as some of the liquid went down the wrong way.

"You fell. I don't think you've broken anything, ribs maybe, but you're pretty bruised. The staff blast isn't helping matters. We'll have you back on your feet soon."

He pushed his glasses up firmly and began to sponge her forehead. There was something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Jack. Could he possibly be anymore evasive? And Sam, whose face wore a ghostly smile, had yet to ask for him at all.

Once upon a time he'd been worried by how close O'Neill and Carter seemed to be getting. He'd said nothing, and although wondering about their intentions towards other another he'd actually secretly been quite pleased that they'd become friends.

Now things were different. They hardly seemed to know each other anymore and he could barely relate to the people they were becoming. Maybe Teal'c could see it too. He always saw a lot more than he let on.

He sighed. If only he could tie them back together, repair this rift that was slowly splitting them all apart.

>>>>>>>>

"O'Neill!" The thunderous voice of the approaching Jaffa shattered the silence. "They appear to be leaving. Perhaps we may relocate to the stargate shortly."

There was a small shifting of rubble as a shadow fell and Teal'c came into view.

"Way to go T.," muttered O'Neill, as he turned back towards Carter and Daniel. "Let's get out of here kids."

TBC